Young siblings die after eating toad eggs, skin

With their parents away working on a farm Tuesday, the two children in Huong Hiep Commune of Dakrong District, Quang Tri Province visited their neighbor’s home to gather toad eggs and skin, brought them home, and cooked them for lunch.

Later, both the girl and boy complained they felt tired and nauseous, according to witnesses.

They were then taken to the medical center of Dakrong District but were pronounced dead on arrival, said Ho Van Cuong, chairman of Huong Hiep Commune.

Staff at the center took samples from inside the pot at their house for testing, confirming they had been poisoned by the toad eggs and skin.

In March 2017, two other children in Huong Hiep had also died after eating the toad eggs they had gathered from a stream.

According to experts, toad skin, eggs, and internal organs are all poisonous and mostly attack the cardiovascular system of those who eat them before causing kidney and liver failure.